Michael Spavor, one of the two Canadians who have been arbitrarily detained for over two years in China, was tried in court Friday but no verdict was announced. In a statement posted on its website, the Intermediate People’s Court of Dandong in Liaoning Province said a closed-door hearing was held for Spavor on March 19 on charges of “spying and illegally sending state secrets abroad.” The statement said Spavor’s defence lawyers were present for the proceedings and the court would pronounce a sentence at a date “determined in accordance with law.” Canadian consular officials said they were denied permission to attend the hearing. Jim Nickel, the deputy head of mission for the Canadian embassy in Beijing, said Spavor’s lawyer had told him that the hearing ended at noon Friday after two hours. Nickel declined to give further details, citing provisions from the Privacy Act to protect Spavor. A hearing for Michael Kovrig, a …
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